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Mental Relaxation

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Put your mind at rest and help your body get some sleep.

Do ideas and thoughts seem to flood your mind at bedtime? These mental relaxation techniques may help you reduce them so you can relax and fall asleep. You can listen to them now, download them for later, or print them out to read as you go.

Thought-Stopping

In thought-stopping, you willfully force your mind to think thoughts that keep you awake. For example, you may think about your boss chewing you out tomorrow. You mull it over, every detail.

Now, try, suddenly, ordering yourself to "Stop!" If the thought creeps back, yell to yourself again, "Stop!" Keep interrupting your unpleasant thought with unpleasant commands to yourself.

There are two explanations why the thought-stopping relaxation technique works:

  • The word Stop! forces an immediate shifting of our attention, which will lead us away from preoccupying thoughts.
  • Thought-stopping proves you have control. That awareness can lead to self-assuring, self-accepting thoughts — thoughts that are more conducive to sleep.

Reverse Psychology

Worrying that you must sleep can cause performance anxiety — and actually keep you awake.

Reversing the thought pattern, telling yourself you must stay awake for as long as possible, can help you become sleepy naturally without putting yourself under pressure.

Breathing

Inhale deeply through your nose. Then pucker your lips, and exhale slowly. Breathe out as long as possible. Imagine that the sound of your breath exhaling is tension draining from your body.

Counting

Counting is another popular relaxation technique. Close your eyes and relax. Count backwards slowly from 100 to zero. Visualize the numbers being written slowly and carefully by a calligrapher, or on a staircase, with the numbers descending with the steps. Use your imagination for other scenarios. Continue until sleep overtakes you.

Creating Pictures

Think of an object that you find simple and pleasing. Study every detail in your mind. Or picture a color shifting into beautiful patterns and hues, blending and changing. Imagine a quiet setting — snowflakes softly falling or a spring day in the country, with cows and horses grazing in a meadow.

Feel the picture by engaging all of your senses. If you're on the beach, feel the sun on your face, your toes in the sand, the breeze on your skin, the ocean air smell.

Floating

Floating can be an effective relaxation technique. Imagine you're floating on air.

Picture yourself floating like a falling leaf, or riding down a long escalator. The lower you float, the calmer you are.

Practice any of these relaxation techniques as often as you like. For more help, read about Muscle Relaxation Techniques.

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† Maximum benefit is $240 off, up to $20 off each prescription (up to 12 prescriptions), depending on your out-of-pocket costs. Not valid for patients participating in Medicare, Medicaid, government (public insurance) programs, or any private payor in the state of Massachusetts and where prohibited by law.
‡ See terms and conditions on offer material.

AMBIEN CR is indicated to help you fall asleep and/or stay asleep.

AMBIEN is indicated for short-term treatment to help you fall asleep.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

AMBIEN and AMBIEN CR are treatment options you and your doctor can consider along with lifestyle changes. When taking either of them, don’t drive or operate machinery. Plan to devote 7 to 8 hours to sleep before being active. Sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake, with memory loss for the event, as well as abnormal behaviors such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations may occur. Don’t take it with alcohol as it may increase these behaviors. In patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. If you experience any of these behaviors contact your doctor immediately. Allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat, may occur and in rare cases may be fatal. If you have an allergic reaction while using AMBIEN or AMBIEN CR, contact your doctor immediately. Side effects of AMBIEN CR may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness and headache. There is a low occurrence of side effects associated with the short-term use of AMBIEN. The most commonly observed side effects in controlled clinical trials were drowsiness, dizziness, and diarrhea. AMBIEN is taken for 7 to 10 days –or longer as advised by your provider. AMBIEN CR can be taken as long as your doctor recommends. AMBIEN and AMBIEN CR have some risk of dependency. They are non-narcotic.

Please refer to the AMBIEN CR full prescribing information and medication guide.
Please refer to the AMBIEN full prescribing information and medication guide.

Click here for information on drug anti-counterfeiting.

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